The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1887.

Evening Star, Issue 7274, 27 July 1887, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1887.

Parliamentary papers recently issued furnish some interesting information respecting the expenditure on village settlements, of which so much has lately been heard. One of these, referring to the provincial district of Auckland, is a return called for by Captain Sutter on May 5; and, in the absence of any information as to the period to which the return relates, it must be assumed that the figures given are for expenditure to that date, Prom these we learn that the settlers numbered fortyfour in all, and that they had received £523 for building houses and £BS for clearing. In addition, provisions costing £202 16s had been forwarded for the settlers' use. These " provisions " appear to have consisted principally of flour, tea, coffee, and sugar, and "one lady's side-saddle." It is stated in a footnote that the last - named item is "to be deducted from money coming to "Mrs Noawaka for rent of house where "goods were stored"—an item not yet brought to account. The next charge is for "passages and freight," from which it appears that it has cost the Government no less than £99 l—paid to a number of people for conveying these experimental settlers to the location chosen for them. This one fact tells more forcibly than any amount of argument against the mode in which the attempt to form village settlements has been pursued. Shunted to a remote and desolate wilderness, where there will be no possible employment for the settlers beyond their own land, how is prosperity to reach them ? When the Government subsidy is exhausted, where are they to turn for external aid ? They will simply have to live upon each other. Village settlement, rightly understood and carried out, means the locating of men on small holdings of from forty to fifty acres, in the vicinity of larger settlements, so that the settlers could supplement their earnings on the land by their wages as farm hands or laborers.

The cost of surveying the Auckland settlements is set down at £2,999; but whether this includes completion of the work, or is only a progress payment, is not stated. For remuneration and travelling expenses paid to " stewards of village settlements" £173 is charged. Under this official designation the name of John Lundon is recorded. One claim of £34 9s appears to have been paid to him for his services in this capacity; but another claim for £SO 2s 4d has been "returned to Mr " Lundon for explanation by the Audit Department." John Lundon is also the " certifying officer " to many of the accounts, such as "advertising," "hire for halls for meetings," and " provisions," including the lady's side-saddle. But before the provision bill was paid it was forwarded to the Crown Lands Commissioner at Auckland for his certificate to cover that of Lundon, by whom the goods were purchased—the Minister thinking, apparently, that John Lundon was rather overdoing it. These billj must have been sent in about the time that inquiries into John Lun don's position wero beginning to be made in the House. Read by the light of this return, the explanations offered Jby Mr Ballance to the House are something worse than disingenuous. Captain Sutter had stated that it was reported that Lundon was employed by the Minister of Lands, and gave certificates for payments. But Mr Ballance, in so many words, assured the House : "Mr John Lundon, although he " has been employed to promote the cause "of village settlement, does not receive any " payment." And again: " There is not a " single payment which has not to be ccrti- " fiecf to by the local officer of the Govern"ment." Now, it appears thatLuNDON's certificate still remains attached to several accounts, and the substitution of the Crown Lands Commissioner's signature to tho provisions account appears to have been an afterthought, prompted possibly by Parliamentary action. One account still unpaid at the date of the return is £2l 12s for travelling expenses to James Grant who "it is understood" has left the Colour. This also was certified by J, Lundon. ; i

The total result is summed up thus,:— ' ,Cost of survey ... .. ~ £2,9$D '6 6 Amount paid (or houses, clearing, ana fencing.. ,-, -. .. MS 10-7 rroVreions ..... .. .. 202 10 O | .PasoigsdHiadtveißht.. ... .. 991 8 G j Advertising and hire of halls for meetings .. 36 0 3 ' Remuneration and travelling expense:) I paid to stewards of village settle- I mer.t .. ... .. „ i? 3 >2 4 ' Claims unsettled ~ (> 71 H 4 , 45,033 1 ,0 The outcome of it all is that,, so far as any light has beon thrown upon the subject, the £B,OOO voted by Parliament in 1886 has nearly all been swallowed up by survey charges, passages, and agents' expenses. If theße are deducted, only £Bll tis 7d remains, whioh can be charged fit having been expended on the Bettle'm'c'nto themselves, i Another parliamentary paper also lacking the tretfesTSary accuracy of date was " laid on We 'table by Hon. Mr BaILANOE " during the session, It evidently refers to a later date than the preceding return, and includes village settlements at Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, and OtaRD. From this we learn that, over all, 2,216 sections have been proclaimed and 1,186 taken up. £1,315 has been advanced on account of buildings and £950 on account of " bush-felling, etc." And lastly we arrive at the fact, now unblushingly acknowledged, that, in addition to the money voted by the House, there are further "liabilities oh account of land taken up " of £62,520, which will have to be furnished by the taxpayers of the Colony.

Our cablegrams relating to European affairs, although pointing to the antagonism of Russia to the AnghyTurkish negotiations regarding British occupation of Egypt, leavo us in the dark regarding the grounds of that country's dissent. The following extracts from the foreign correspondence columns of • The Timeß ' of yjune 15 throw some light upon the matter. It is worthy of note that the View the Russian Government entertains Is also participated in by France, which Power in 1882 refused to take an active part in the re establishment of order in Egypt. In a message from Vienna containing an extract from a semi-official journal, the remark is made : " Not only has England " advanced her own interests in Egypt, but "herpresence there has proved of advan- " tage to other European nations. She has "oroated a stability in Egyptian affairs, the " want of whioh has been long felt. She " has accustomed the country to quietude, *' developed its material resources, and "strengthened the material foundation of " its future prosperity."

CONSTANTINOPLE; Jt*B 13. Sir H. Dmmmond Wolff notified to th'a Porte to-day that he has received the copy o5 the Egyptian Convention ratified by the. Queen, and now only awaits the is-:ue of the Sultan's trade' sanctioning the exchange of tho British ar.d Turkish ratifications. ST. PETERSBURG, June 14 The view cf the Russian Government in regard to tho Angle-Turkish Convention concerning Egypt maintains the position whioh it originally took up on this question. It Is that the SuStatl, although Suzerain of K.'ypt, has net the right of alienating for the p < ft; of another Power the Independence of a country, the disposal of which Russia considers cannot be withdrawn frort) the common control of all the Kuropeah States ciruilly interested in the Suez Canal remaining an international maritime route>